Harvey highlights importance of flood insurance

ST. PETERSBURG (FOX 13) - An alarming number of people affected by the flooding in Texas didn’t have flood insurance.

Almost 80 percent of the victims didn’t think they needed flood insurance, and experts say it should be a wakeup call for people in flood prone areas, especially those along Florida’s coasts.

Jake Wholehouse is an expert who works in the insurance industry. He says 35 percent of Pinellas County is in a flood zone, which is why anytime there’s news of a hurricane or major storm, flood insurance companies become swamped.